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Seeking to Turn Away from the Faith - Acts 13:4-12
Seeking to Turn Away from the Faith - Acts 13:4-12 [4] So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
[5] And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
[6] And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:
[7] Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.
[8] But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
[9] Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.
[10] And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
[11] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
[12] Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
See All...
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INTRODUCTION
God and Satan are always at war. In like manner, there are always two spirits at work: the Holy Ghost and a Satanic or false spirit. While the Lord seeks to give life, and joy, and peace, the forces of evil seek to turn men away from the truth. While on their missionary journey, Barnabas and Saul had the opportunity to declare the word of God to Sergius Paulus, the deputy of the country. As the Holy Ghost worked in the deputy’s heart, another spirit began to work. Elymas the sorcerer withstood them, seeking to turn the deputy from the faith (Acts 13:8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
See All...). Why? Because sorcerers, and all other forms of witchcraft, are the enemies of all righteousness (Acts 13:10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
See All...).
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
- (For smaller children) Jannes and Jambres were magicians who sought to defeat the effect Moses had on Pharaoh (2 Timothy 3:8Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
See All...; Exodus 7:10-12 [10] And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. [11] Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. [12] For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
See All..., 20-22; Exodus 8:7And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
See All...). Satan is behind all such opposition, deceit, and trickery (John 8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
See All...; Luke 8:11-12 [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
See All...). God is against such acts (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 [1] If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, [2] And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; [3] Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. [4] Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. [5] And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
See All...). - What did Saul, also known as Paul, call Elymas the sorcerer (see Acts 13:10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
See All...)? What does this suggest about those who practice various forms of witchcraft? - God judged Elymas by blinding him for a season. How did this physical judgment match Elymas’ spiritual condition? Which is worse: to be physically blind or spiritually blind?
PRAYER NEEDS
- Ask God to open your eyes to the wickedness of witchcraft.
- Thank the Lord for giving you the truth.
HYMN
What Wilt Thou Have Me to Do?
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Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.